The Vietnamese team successfully defended the ASEAN Cup 2026 crown, after overcoming the Thai team with a total score of 4-2 in the two final matches.
In the first leg final, coach Kim Sang-sik's team defeated "War Elephants" 2-0 right at Rajamangala stadium. In the second leg, Quang Hai and his teammates drew 2-2 at My Dinh.
Looking back at the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final, commentator (BLV) Quang Tung said that the result was not unexpected, although the diễn biến on the field was somewhat unexpected. According to him, the Vietnamese team put themselves in a difficult position when they did not control the match well and let Thailand have many opportunities to put pressure.
Actually, I was a little surprised but not unable to imagine this scenario. I imagined everything would not be simple if the Vietnamese team lost control of the situation and could not limit the risks. The Vietnamese team needs tightness and control of the situation on the field," commentator Quang Tung commented.
According to this expert, the way the Vietnamese team entered the game and organized defense caused the team to face quite a few risks. Thailand did not create too special attacking power but could still cause difficulties by putting the ball into the penalty area. If the opponent has better attacking quality and coordination ability, the Vietnamese defense may have to pay the price.
Commentator Quang Tung also assessed that the Vietnamese team only really improved the game in about 30-35 minutes of the 2nd half, from after the 50th minute. This was a period when the team played more proactively, at times bringing the match back to a balanced state and showing their ability.
However, there is still a lucky factor in this match. The penalty situation is an example when the situation could have changed if Thailand had taken advantage of it successfully. After that, the opponent continued to miss opportunities, causing Vietnam to avoid an unfavorable situation.
Besides the defense issue, ball control ability is also something that commentator Quang Tung mentioned: "The Vietnamese team should have played better, held the ball more. I remember that the home team only held the ball for about 30% of the time. With too few passes, the players lost their mobility.
Another noteworthy point mentioned by commentator Quang Tung is the psychological state of the players. The fact that the Vietnamese team played tense and passively for most of the time is difficult to explain, because the team possesses many experienced players and entered the match with a great advantage from the first leg. The first half was almost a period that did not create much impression. The home team only had one noteworthy shot from Xuan Son.
Although pointing out limitations, commentator Quang Tung affirmed that the Vietnamese team is completely worthy of the ASEAN Cup championship.
“Football is not just 50 minutes but 90 minutes, the Thai team does not maintain the advantage. The Vietnamese team deserves to win, deserves to be champion because they have more total playing time, more goals, better defense and that is the rules of the game,” Mr. Tung said.
This expert also highly appreciated the preparation of coach Kim Sang-sik. The Korean strategist has built a careful and scientific plan for the entire tournament. The players also know how to take advantage of the time to create a difference, thereby helping the Vietnamese team complete the goal of defending the championship.
On the Thai side, commentator Quang Tung said that this defeat does not show the decline of the Golden Temple country's football. If they have the strongest force, Thailand is still a difficult opponent to overcome. Vietnam's limitations in the second leg final also show that the gap between the two teams is not too large.
The next confrontations between Vietnam and Thailand will continue to be noteworthy, especially when opponents can strengthen their forces. The ASEAN Cup 2026 championship is a remarkable achievement, but also a time for the Vietnamese team to review their performance, overcome weaknesses and prepare for bigger challenges," Mr. Tung emphasized.
